Bottle capper



NOV. 5, 1929, J LEBHERZ 1,734,630

BOTTLE CAPPER Filed Feb. 8, 1928 INVENTOR.

B Y a a ATTORNEY;

Patented Nov. 5, 1929 HARRY J. LEIBHERZ, F FREDERICK, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO Tit-IE EVEREIDY COMPANY, OF FREDERICK, MARYLAND, CORPORATION OF MARYLAND BOTTLE CAPPER A lication filed February 8, 1928. Serial 170 252526.

My invention relates broadly to bottle cap pers and more particularly to a bottle capper of the manually controlled type.

One of the objects of my invention is to 5 provide a bottle capper having avertically extending rack and a slidable head where the head is adjustable to selected positions along the rack, with spring means for maintaining the head in an elevated position preparatory for capping operations, the spring means having a protective device for maintaining the setting of the capping head in a selected position with respect to the vertically extending rack.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of yoke or bridge member for the capping head of a bottle capping tool which yoke or bridge member is maintained under spring tension with respect to the operating lever of the bottle capper for maintaining the operating lever in a predetermined setting on'the vertically extending rack of the bottle capping tool. 1

Still another object of my invention is to 2 provide a construction of vertically extending rack and adjustable bottle capping head thereon, with spring means extending on each side of the bottle capping head and'connecting to a bridge member protruding across the bottle capping head and aflording that degree of pressure upon the operating lever of the bottle capping tool which .will serve to maintain the operating lever in a particular setting with respect to the vertically extending rack.

- A still further object of my invention is to provide a construction of yoke and bridge member for the bottle capping head of a'bottle capping tool where the yoke is maintained by spring pressure in engagement with the head of the operating lever and extends along the operating lever to serve as a protect-ing means for'preventing the displacemerit of the lever from a predetermined selected setting for performing bottle capping operations on a bottle of a particular size. Other and further objects of my invention reside in the construction of yoke and 5 guard member for the capping headof a bottle capping tool as described more fully in the specification hereinafter following by refer-v ence to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bottle capping tool showing thedevice of my invention applied thereto Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the bottle capping head on line 22 of Fig. 1 and showing the vertically extending rack in elevation; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the bottle capping head showing the arrangement of yoke and guard thereon; Fig. 4 is a view of the bottle capping head and the position assumed thereby when pressure is applied to theoperatin'g lever during bottle capping operations;- and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the yoke and guard for the bottle capping head constructed in accordance with my invention. r

My invention relates to that class of bottle capping tools shown more particularly in copending application of Harry J. Lebherz, Serial No. 69,868, filed November 18, 1925, now Patent No; 1,681,144, dated August 14, 1928. The details of construction of the bot tle capping tool of my invention are described more particularly in Letters Patent Nos. 1,356,161, dated October 19, 1920, granted to Harry J. Lebherz, Reissue 15,285, dated February 14, 1922, granted to Harry J l Lebherz, 1,421,698, dated July 4, 1922, granted to Harry J. Lebherz, 1,643,076, dated September 20, 1927, granted to Harry J. and Robert WV. Lebherz, and 1,651,720, dated December 6,1927, granted to'Harry J. and Robert l/Vf Lebherz.

Heretofore there has been a tendency for the operating handle to fly up at the end of each bottle capping operation and jump out of gear with the vertically extending rack of the bottle capper. The appliance of my invention prevents the operating lever from jumping out of gear with the vertically ex tending rack so that when the bottle capping head is set in a selected position the head will remain in that position for successive bottle 7 capping operations. When the head is removed to different settings along the vertically extending rack and the handle is swung to an upright position all set for adjusting the capper head to a differently sized bottle, the yoke of my invention serves as a guard or shield to prevent the teeth on the rack from catching on the last tooth of the segment carried by the handle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character 1 designates the base of the bottle capping tool from which the standard 2 extends. A rack 3 is provided on the extremity of the standard 2 having a row of rack teeth 4 over which the sliding member or adjustable head 5 is positioned. A capping throat 6 is secured to the capper head 5 in a position to serve as a pressure means for forcing a crown cap over the head of a bottle mounted upon the supporting base 1. The hand lever 8 connects with a segment member 9 which is pivoted, at 7 in the capper head The teeth 10 of the segment member 9 mesh with the rackteeth 4. The upper edge of the segment is notched as represented at 1.2

in a position corresponding to notches 11 formed in the sides of the capper'head 5. The guard is represented at 1 1 as having a rearwardly extending portionand.contacting face at 20 for engaging the hand operating lever. The guard 14 has a bridge portion 16 and a pair of downwardly depending lugs 15. The guard is maintained in a position transverse to the segment by springs 17' which connect at one end with hooks 18 pressed from the material of the walls ofithe capper head, and at the other end with the lugs 15 on the guard. The guard extends for a substantial distance along the operating handle and maintains a sufficient downward pressure upon the. operating handle to prevent the operating handle from jumping to a posi-. tion where the segment might become disengaged. with the rack. In this way the handle is maintained in a particular setting with respect to the rack. The guard serves as a shield for preventing the teeth 'on the rack from catching on the last tooth on the operating lever when the operating lever is in its upright position or set for adjusting the lever to differently sized bottles for the reason that the guard is always disposed between the lever and the rack when the lever is in raised position. When the guard separates the teeth of the hand lever from the rack teeth, it is possible to move the capping head freely with respect to the rack to any selected position.

The construction of the guard has been found tobe extremely practical, and while I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire that it be understood that modifications may be made and that no limi tations upon myinvention are intended other than are imposed by the scopeo-f the appended claims.

VJ hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a bottle capper a vertically extending rack, a capping head, a hand operating lever journaled in said capping head and having a toothed segment thereon engageable with the teeth of said rack, spring members extending from opposite sides of said capping head and a bridge member connected at opposite sides to each of said spring members, said bridge member extending along said hand operating lever and providing. 'ajriabutment at a point beyond the pivofltliereof.

2. In a bottle capper a vertically extending 'rack a ca in head a hand 0 eratin lever 7 b 7 b journaled in said capping head and having a toothed segment thereon engageable with the teeth of said rack, spring means connected to opposite sides of said capping head and a bridge member embracing the top of said capping head and depending on each side thereof to points of connection with said spring means, and a laterally extending portion on saidv bridge member abutting with said hand operating. lever at a point beyond the pivot thereof for limiting the upward movement of said lever.

3. A bottle capping tool comprising a vertically extending rack, a head adjustable vertically along saidrack, a hand operating lever j ournaled in said head, a segment on one end of said hand operating lever meshing with said rack, a pair of spring members connected to opposite sides of said head andterminating' in hooks on opposite sides ofthe upper ex tremity of said head and. a strip member having a pair of downwardly extending lugs connected to the hook extremities onT's aid spring members for continuously urging said segment downwardly with respect to said head, said strip member extending along said lever for limiting the upward movement of said lever. i i I 1. In a bottle capping tool a vertically extending rack, a head slidable on said rack, a hand operating lever journaled in saidhead and having a segment thereon meshing with said rack, spring devices positioned onopposite sides of said head, a strip member having a pair of lugs extending therefrom on opposite sides of. said head and connected with the ends of said spring devices, said strip member extending along said; handoperating lever and contacting therewith ata point beyond the pivot thereof for limiting thejup ward movementof said lever,

5. In a bottle capper, a rack, a bottle ap ping head slidable thereon, an operating lever j ournaled in said head and meshing with said rack for shifting saidhead along. said rack, a pair of springv members connected to oppo; site sides ofsaid head, a bridge member ex tending across said head, said bridge member. having an n g ally ending lug p otru ing downwardly on each sideof saj-idheadand connected with each of the spring mem HARRY L. LEBHERZ. 

